Centrifugal basket



E. ROBERTS CENTRIFUGAL BASKET Filed Nov. 23

.un r1/u1 Dec. 26, 1933.

177 vena? RM awww@ vlan/111 Patented Dwaze, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT Application November23, V1932 `Serial No. '644,052

4 claims. (Ci. gulf-76) This invention .relates to centrifugal baskets of the type used for centrifugally separating the liquid andsolid contents of raw sugar'orgof` various types of chemical substances and is intended to provide a means for accurately' gauging or determining ythe thickness of the wall material built up inside the basket during the charging periodwhen the basket is being loaded atrelaltively low speedl preliminary to centrifuging its contents. Y

As such vcentrifugal baskets in general comprise aperipheral wall generally of vcylindrical shape having top and `bottom' members, which confine material against escape while it is being centrifuged, it isvery important to determine the amount of material that is being poured into the rotating basket in order to limit the material to such amount as will build up a wall of'predeter mined thickness that v is most' appropriate for centrifuging the particular kindor grade of materialrbeing treated. If the material to be treated is fiowed into the basket in sufhcient amount to make too thick a wall, that prevents the effective and rapid penetration of the liquid content of the inwardly disposed portion ofthe'mass through the surrounding wall of solid material, On the other hand, if less material is supplied by the operator to the basket than is capable of being properly centrifuged, the centrifugal is not operating at full eiiiciency. i

:In an earlier application for United States patent I have devised an interior vane or gauge suspended from above the basket andcoordinated with an indicating pointer to act as a guide for the centrifugal operator to secure the proper thickness of wall, but this device depends upon the vane being operated by contact with the wall of sugar itself.

The present invention is based upon the principle of providing the basket bottom with calibrated means that are visiblel to the 'operator through the open top of the basket and which accurately indicate the thickness of the walled up material as it distributes itself around the inside of the basket, so that the operator has a clear indication as to the amount of load that he is flowing into the basket.

The invention essentially comprises acentrifrugal basket bottom element provided with a series of calibrating members arranged at spaced intervals to indicate the thickness of the material walled up on the inside of the peripheral basket wall. These indicating members extend at regular spaced intervals from the peripheral basket lwall toward the central axis of the machine and may be made in Various forms. These and other features 'ofthe invention' will be particuiarlyV de'- scribed in the following specication and will be defined inthe claims annexed. j

In the Ydrawing I have illustrated two speci-fV cally different formsv embodying the principles of thisV invention, in which Fig. l is a horizontal vsection through the bas K ket on a plane intermediatey the top and bottom thereof. f'

I Fig. 2 is a vertical central section through the basket.

Fig. `3 is a detail'view planshowing a modified form` applied t'o the basket bottom and valve.`

Fig. 4 is a vertical central sectionof the modined form shown in Fig. 3.

In the practice of the invention, the centrifugal basket comprises, inthe form illustrated, a perfo- Y rated peripheral wall l surrounded by reenforc` ing encircling rings 2 andl having the usual top rim or ring 3 fastened securely to the peripheral vwall anda ybottom which, in this case, has a downwardly extending iia'nge 5 surrounding the central opening and integral with the radial arm spider 6 with its central hub 7 securely fastened to the central basket supporting and driving shaft y8.

I rA well known form of closure valve 9, having the lifting Vloop or handle 95, normally closes the central discharge opening and can be lifted out solid matter from the basketA through the central opening."

" Other Well known accessories, such as lter linings, dischargers or the like, not being concerned with this invention are not illustrated herein. I v v In the form shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 of the drawing, I provide the bottom with a series of annular concentric grooves formed in the upper surface of the basketwhere it can be seen through the open top rim or cap 3 of the basket. These grooves are cut `to leave intermediate ribs 4%' which are spaced apart preferably one inch fromv center to center, so that the number of ribs covered by the sugar or other solid material, that is walled up against the inside ofthe peripheral wall 1 of the basket, will indicatethe thickness of that wall as it builds up. Of course when the 85v ofthe basket when it is desired to discharge the etV rings starting from the edge of the bottom valve to determine just how thick is the walled ring of material resting on the bottom of the basket. For example, if there are nine indicator rings formed between the inside of the peripheral wall of the basket and the outer edge of the bottom valve, and the sugar wall extends out to cover the sixth ring counting from the outside, then there will be exposed three rings between the inside of the wall of sugar and the outer edge of the bottom valve. The tenth, eleventh and twelfth rings, in this case, are shown on the bottom valve itself. Therefore, if the operator counts three rings exposed outside of the bottom valve, by subtracting that number from nine, he knows that the thickness of the wall of material at the bottom is six inches.

While the material that walls up into a ring under the centrifugal force exerted at loading speed is not absolutely vertical but somewhat inclined, being thickest at the bottom, nevertheless, since this contour line is substantially the same for like materials, the determination of the thickness of the wall at the bottom is a reliable guide in charging the machine to avoid under-loading as well as over-loading. In some cases the material may start to build over the edge of the bottom valve and for that reason the bottom Valve itself is provided with gauge elements or rings.

In Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, I have shown a modied form in which, instead of calibrated rings formed in the upper surface of the basket wall, and of the valve when desired, inserts or plugs 4b are arranged at regular spaced intervals from the center toward the outer wall and, as these plugs are made of a material that contrasts with the color of the basket bottom, they will appear as continuous rings when the basket is rotated during loading. Generally speaking, it is immaterial whether these indicator or measuring plugs are arranged in a radial series or on a line diagonal to, or staggered with relation to radial lines. The diagonal or staggered arrangement alfords more space between the plugs.

To facilitate the easy counting of the actual rings of the nrst form, or of the apparent rings in the second form, the Calibrating members may be formed to make every second or third member slightly wider or more conspicuous than the others and this may be effected in the case of the rings by leaving every other ring noticeably wider than the next adjacent rings, or in the case of the inserted plugs by making every alternate plug noticeably larger in diameter than the adjacent plugs, thus rendering them more conspicuous.

The use of such visual Calibrating elements in the bottom of the basket aiords a complete protection against over-loading or under-loading the basket, which has heretofore constituted a practical dimculty in the operation of large centriugals of this type, for Vas soon as the material, as it walls up, covers the prescribed actual or apparent ring in the bottom of the basket, the stream of material supplied is cut orf at the desired thickness of load. The invention, therefore, eliminates much uncertainty and guess work that has hitherto attended this stage in the operation e of centrifugals.

Moreover, these Calibrating rings serve to indicate to theoperator the amount oi shrinkage of the walled up material in washing the sugar and therefore warns him against excessive washing struction a peripheral wall and top and bottom members secured thereto, a bottom member being formed with rings on its upper surface spaced at predetermined distances from the peripheral wall and concentric therewith to lindicate the thickness of the material being vtreated when it is built up around the inside of the peripheral wall.`

3. A centrifugal basket embracing a peripheral wall and top and bottom members secured Ythereto, a series of distinctive inserts arranged at predetermined intervals apart to form, when the basket is rotating, visible Calibrating rings indicative of the thickness of the ring of material walled up inside the basket. l Y

4. A centrifugal basket embracing in its construction top and bottom members and an inter-vr mediate peripheral wall. connecting them,` the bottom member being provided with a central discharge opening, a valve for closing said opening, and a series of Calibrating members arranged in predetermined spaced relation between the peripheral Wall and the edge of the bottom closure valve, said valve being providedv alsorwith calibrating members for gauging the thickness of the ring of Walled up material inside the basket.

EUGENE ROBERTS.

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